Household safety-deposit box



C. M. COTT.

HOUSEHOLD SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX.

1,340,377. f Patented May 18,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

c. M. con.

HOUSEHOLD SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX.

Patented May 18, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 8% on to;

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30, 1919.

attorney cnnms is. com, or mcnuonn, VIRGINIA.

HOUSEHOLD SAFETY+DEPOSIT BOX.

Application filed August 30, 1919. Serial No. 320,869.

To alt whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES M. (low, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and- State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Household Safety-Deposit Boxes, of which the followin is a specification. v

" This invention relates to safes and more particularly to ahousehold safety deposit structure-adapted for use in receiving deeds, insurance policies, liberty bonds, or other articlesof value commonly kept in thehome.

Many' thousands of dollars have been lost by'the theft of liberty bonds andlike valuable ne otiable instruments, andthere is a wide spread demand for an economical safety deposit box adapted for use in the household. p

' lVith'the object of providing a structure that will fill this need the invention contemplates a support adapted to be secured to a wall she'l'f or like structure together with abox adapted to be removably supported upon and locked to the support, in such manner that it may be quickly and easiiy'bodily removed from the support by an authorized person to permit it to be carried from place to place. The invention further con-templates the provision of a structure of the character indicated provided with means for maintaining the box in locked condition when it is removed from the support, and for locln'ng the boxto the support, and for making a single controlling lock perform the function of locking the box to the support or looking the box in closed position when it is removed from the support.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows:

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety deposit box constructed in accordance with the invention illustrating the same mounted upon and locked to a supporting plate;

Fig. 2 is a .view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the box unlocked with relation to the supporting plate and held thereto only by its hinge mounting thereon;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view illus- %rating the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4: is a vertical, sectional view illusspecification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

trating the parts inthe position they occupy in Fig. 2; V

Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional View; 7

Fig. 6 is a vertical, sectional view illustrating the hinge mounting of the box; and

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a slightly modified form of the construction.

Like numerals designate. corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. 7

Referring to the drawing 5 designates a steel supporting plate adapted to be secured to a wall, shelf or other fixed part of a building by means of screws 6. These screws are so located that they are covered by the box 7 when the latter is moved to position to be locked to the support as hereinafter set forth so that these screws at this time cannot be removed. The box '7 is provided with a lock 8that serves the function of engaging'and locking the eye 9 of av hasp-like plate 10, the-latter beinghingedly mounted at 11 upon the plate 5. The box as a whole is hingedlyconnected at 12 to the plate 5. A cover 13 for the box'is pivotally connected to the box body at 14- and is provided with a hasp like tongue'15 that is pivotally connected to the free edge of the cover 13 and is adapted tobe moved to the position illustrated in Fig. else that its eye 16-1nay be engaged with the lock, in lieu of the eye 9. of the hasp-like plate 10. Thus it will beseen that the lock 8 is caused to serve the double function of locking the lid of the box closed if the boxhas to be removed from the plate 5 and conveyed to some other place, such for example as a court room or the like, and also serves to lock the box as a whole, to the plate 5. To protect the hinge mounting 12 and to prevent an instrument being inserted behind the box to jimmy the same from its place the plate 5 is indented as indicated at 17 so that the box is partly seated in the recess formed thereby. If it be desired to use a plane plate in lieu of the indented plate, a plate like that illustrated in Fig. 7 and numbered 18 may be employed and this plate may be provided with slots 19 within which flanges 20 upon the end portions of the box project. This will prevent a jimmy from being inserted behind the box from the ends thereof and this together with the fact that the hasp like plate 10 overlies the top of the box will protect the box from being pried from its place.

The hinge mounting 12 is a releasable mounting. This mounting comprises ears 21 formed upon the plate and an eye 22 formed upon the box and the pintlcs 23 are provided with up-turned ends 24: that are movable in a slot 25. By pressing the ends 24 toward each other the pintles will be withdrawn from the cars 21 to thereby entirely release the box from its connection with the plate at the hinge mounting 12. It will be understood that this is done after the hasp like plate has been released. Thus the box may be bodily removed and carried to a distant point, and when removed and in transit its lid 13 may be locked by means of the hasp like plate and its eye 16, the latter being engaged and locked by means of the lock 8.

Having described my invention what I claim is 1. In combination a supporting element, a box movably connected to and mounted thereon, a lid for thebox, means for looking the lid in closed position upon the box and means for locking the box to the sup:

port, the latter means being operable when the box has been moved upon its mounting to a position Where its lid lies toward and against the said support and is inaccessible by reason thereof.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein a common lock is included in the said two locking means. r

3. The combination with a supporting =1 plate, of a box having a lid, a lock carried one corner of the box and the plate, a lid for the box, a lock upon the box, a member hinged to the plate and adapted to engage the lock of the box, and a member hinged to the lid and adapted to engage the lock of the box. I

6. In a device of the character described the combination With a supporting plate means for securing the same to a Wall, sheli or the like, of'a box having a lid, and a lock, and a pair of members engageable With said lock one of which is carried by the lid and locks the lid to the box and the other of which is carried by the plate and locks the box to the plate when said box is moved into a position where its lid lies against the said plate.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a-supporting element, of a box, a releasable hinge connection between one corner of the supporting element and the box, a lid for the box, a look upon the box and a hasp-like member upon the supporting element adapted to engage the lock of the box and hold that side of the box that is covered by the lid against the supporting element.

8. A device of the character described comprising a supporting plate, a box having a lid, a lock carried by the box, a releasable hinge connection between one corner of the box and the supporting plate, a hasp-like member carried by the supporting plate and having means engageablewith the lock of the box, said hasp-like member being of such length as to overlap the joint between the box and the supporting plate throughout the length of the box to prevent the entry of a prying instrument therebetween and means located at the ends of the box for preventing the insertion of a prying instrument between the box and the supporting plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my'signature.

CHARLES M. OOTT. 

